Review: Highway Restaurant & Bar in East Hampton

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A renovation at the Highway Restaurant & Bar made the space more sleek.CreditCreditGordon M. Grant for The New York Times

By Kurt Wenzel

May 28, 2015

When it comes to restaurants, is there such a thing as a doomed location? An address where nothing can survive, no matter the quality of the venture? If so, then 290 Montauk Highway in East Hampton might be such a spot. It’s the restaurant version of a black hole, swallowing no fewer than five establishments in a little over 10 years. Many of these lasted but a single season; others just a few months.

Last November, the latest attempt opened: Highway Restaurant & Bar, which has no relation to its predecessor, Highway Diner. Though the address is daunting, there is reason to believe that this restaurant could be a success: Highway is part of the same ownership group that has interests in both Shuko and Eleven Madison Park, which were among the best reviewed restaurants in New York City this year.

Although Highway doesn’t quite reach those heights, after two recent visits I’d say that if this restaurant can’t make it here, probably nothing can.

One of the major problems with the location has always been the space itself, which is a sprawling, unwieldy L-shape room, large enough for a game of touch football. A winter renovation, however, brought some sleek contemporary touches to the décor, and more important, a large fireplace to divide the dining room from the bar area. This added intimacy goes hand in hand with a more sophisticated, modernist style.

As for the food, nearly everything works. Chef Justin Finney — an alumnus of Nick and Toni’s and Meeting House, among others — has a flair for appetizers. They are so good, in fact, that diners may be tempted to build a complete meal from this side of the menu. A crudo of red snapper with radish and ginger was excellent, while a special of scallop ceviche, marinated in lime, jalapeños and cilantro, was outstanding. A menu special of soft shell crab was small but perfectly crispy and served with a delicious grilled-scallion rémoulade. Steamed pork buns were filled with a large slab of pork belly and served with a spicy red cabbage slaw; given its popularity at the tables near us, I’d say it’s already a signature dish, and deservedly so.

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The appetizer of steamed pork buns with a spicy red cabbage slaw, left; and raspberry mille-feuille with chocolate sorbet.CreditGordon M. Grant for The New York Times

Only a kale salad with radishes fell short, suffering from a severe case of over-salting. It was hard to tell if this was from the ginger soy dressing, or the all-too common inclination of line cooks to add pinches of salt when tossing the salad with vinaigrette. Either way, there was too much sodium to finish more than half.

While the entrees may not have matched the inventiveness of the appetizers, we found nothing that disappointed. Lamb chops were perfectly grilled and served with a tomato compote and an Israeli couscous with chunks of lamb sausage. A classic bouillabaisse was solid, with salmon, scallops, manila clams and a perfect garlicky rouille served on the side.

Though the bucatini pasta was not house-made (the penne and rigatoni are), it was very good, served with sausage, braised fennel and charred cherry tomatoes for an extra smokiness.

One surprising standout was the lobster roll, a classic Hamptons dish whose presentation has grown ordinary of late: Toss some claw meat with mayonnaise and throw it on a hot dog roll: $30, please. Mr. Finney’s version is seasoned with tarragon and is served with meat from the entire lobster, including the tail. It is then served on a toasted brioche bun with hand-cut French fries. It’s one of the better versions of the dish I’ve encountered.

For dessert there was a house-made peach pie with a perfect golden crust, warmed and topped with vanilla ice cream. The artfully constructed raspberry mille-feuille with chocolate sorbet — featuring layers of raspberries and custard in tiers of delicate phyllo dough — would not be out of place in an upscale French restaurant.

Good food is a must, of course, but what may ultimately separate Highway Restaurant & Bar from its failed predecessors are the many miscellaneous details it gets right. This includes an excellent house cocktail list featuring a phenomenal house margarita made with ginger and Saint Germain (an elderflower liquor); a tap beer selection with an emphasis on local breweries; and finally, a friendly staff that is a pleasant balance of eager newcomers and wily veterans. Fine points like these, I’d venture, have already helped the restaurant attract a loyal neighborhood crowd, which will be crucial going forward. Summers are easy; winters make or break Hamptons restaurants, and a local following is indispensable.

Against all odds, I’m betting on success for Highway Restaurant & Bar.

THE SPACE Ninety-seat restaurant of contemporary rustic décor. Easy wheelchair accessibility with a ramp leading to the front door.

THE CROWD Cross-section of local families and couples. Child-friendly. Staff ranges from first-timers to highly skilled veterans.

THE BAR Twelve seats with two televisions. There are 80 wines on the list, $50 to $400, and 12 by the glass, $10 to $16. Five beers in bottles, $5 to $8; six beers on tap, $7 and $8. Six house cocktails, $13 to $16.

IF YOU GO Dinner: Sundays through Thursdays, 5 to 9 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, until 10 p.m. Lunch: Fridays through Sundays, noon to 3 p.m. Reservations are recommended on weekend nights. There is a large parking lot adjacent to the restaurant.

RATINGS Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page LI8 of the New York edition with the headline: Making a Go of It in a Daunting Location. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe